GB2135352A

GB2135352A - Determining properties of fiber pulp

Info

Publication number: GB2135352A
Application number: GB08403977A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anssi Karna; Heikki Liimatainen
Original assignee: Tampella Oy AB
Current assignee: Tampella Oy AB
Priority date: 1983-02-17
Filing date: 1984-02-15
Publication date: 1984-08-30
Also published as: GB2135352B; IT8447682A0; US4662991A; NZ206999A; FI67957B; IT1177557B; NO840603L; FI830534A0; SE8400683L; ES529782A0; FR2541459A1; ZA84857B; FI830534L; BR8400686A; JPS59214764A; SE8400683D0; ES8507687A1; SE460562B; DE3404571A1; CA1205197A

Description

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GB 2 135 352 A 1

SPECIFICATION

A method and apparatus for determining properties of fiber pulp

5

The present invention relates to a method and apparatusfordetermining the properties of fiber pulp by taking a fiber pulp batch of a predetermined volume, by measuring its temperature and by filtering 10 water from it.

From publications Svensk Papperstidning, 9 (1977) 265-284 and Pulp & Paper 55 (1981) 72-75 there are known various methods and devices for determining the properties of fiber pulp. In these methods the 15 consistencyofthefibersuspension isfirstmeasured and, when necessary, the fiber suspension is diluted to a consistency suitableforthe measuring. In the first-mentioned publication it is noted that the suitable consistency is approximately 1 g/literfor unrefined 20 fibers and approximately 0.25 g/literfor refined fibers and groundwood pulp. In the second publication the fiber suspension must be diluted to a consistency of approximately 0.5 %. The method according to the first-mentioned publication is based on measuring the 25 pressure difference produced acrossthefiber layer filtered onto the wire while the flow of liquid through the wire is constant, and the method according to the second-mentioned publication is based on measuring theflow velocity of liquid through the fiber bed while it 30 is subjected to constant pressure. In addition, in both methods the temperature of the fiber suspension is measured, and other properties of the fiber pulp can be calculated on the basis of the measurements obtained.

35 By the above-mentioned methods it is not possible to determine the consistency of the fiber suspension, and this has to be analyzed separately before the beginning of the determination. In addition, these prior known determination methods can be applied 40 only to very dilute fibersuspensions, and thus they seldom can be applied directly to specimens taken from the process flow, but the specimen must first be diluted to the suitable consistency. Also, these prior known measuring methods do not provide reliable 45 resultswhenthepropertiesofpulpshavingahigh shive content, for example pulps from underthe pulpstoneof a pulp grinder, are being determined. Furthermore, these methods of determination are relatively sensitive to air present in the fiber suspen-50 sion; in general, the air must first be removed from the fiber suspension before the determination is started.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for determining the properties of fiber pulp, a method by which the properties of a fiber 55 pulp, including its consistency, can be determined, for example, directlyfrom the process flow, without prior dilution, by which it isalso possible to determine the properties of pulps having a high shive content, such as pulpsfrom underthe pulpstone in a pulp grinder, 60 and in which air possibly present in the fiber suspension does not hamperthe measuring.

The main and preferred features of the present invention are given in the accompanying claims.

In a manner deviating from the above-mentioned 65 prior known methods, water is allowed substantially to filter out of the fiber suspension in order to form a pulp cake on the wire and only thereafter is the pressu re difference across the filtered pu Ip cake or the amount of airflowing through it, or both, measured. In accordance with the present invention the resisting effect on the flow of air, of the pulp cake filtered onto the wire isthus measured, which is done advantageously either by measuring the amount of airflow whilethe pressure difference across the pulp cake is constant or by measuring the produced pressure difference across the pulp cake whilethe airflow is constant. A state of equilibrium suitableforthe measuring is created rather soon after substantially all the water has been removed from the pulp, i.e. in practice after, for example, 15-150 seconds from the beginning of thefiltering.

By the method according to the present invention it isalso possibleto determine the consistency of fiber suspension by measuring the temperature of afiber suspension batch of a predetermined volume and the effect ofthefibersuspension batch on airflow, as well as by weighing the pulp cake filtered onto the wire. It has been surprisingly observed that by using the method and apparatus according to the invention it is thus possible to determine both the consistency and the quality of the pulp with relative reliability within a wfde temperature, consistency and grinding-degree range both in a laboratory and also directlyfrom the process flow, and by means of the method and apparatus according to the invention it is also possible to determine several paper technical properties of pulps having a high shive content, such as pulpsfrom underthe pulpstone of pulp grinders. The method of determination according to the invention is very rapid and precise, since it takes simultaneously into account the temperature of a pulp suspension batch of a predetermined volume, the weight of the suction-filtered pulp cake, and the effects on the final result of the pressure difference produced across the section-filtered pulp cake, and on the basis of these measurements it is then possibleto calculate mathematically the above-mentioned properties of the pulp. By measuring the three above-mentioned factors, namely the temperature, the weight of the pulp cake and the effect of the pulp cake on theflow of airthrough it,

from a pulp specimen of a constant volume, it is, according to the studies carried out, possibleto determine with surprising precision the following properties, among others: consistency, degree of grinding, wet strength, tensile index, burstindex, bonding power, scattering of light, and fine-material content. The method according to the present invention is not dependent on the consistency of the pulp suspension, and the consistency of the pulp may vary within quite wide ranges, for example from 0.1 % to 3 %. By the method according to the invention it is thus possibleto measure and calculate the properties of fiber pulp directly from,for example, the pulps from underthe pulpstone of a grinder, the consistency of these pulps being typically within the range 1-2 %.

Since the pressure difference orthrough-flow produced across the pulp cake is not measured until substantially all the water has been removed through the wire, the air possibly present in the pulp suspension cannot in any way affect the measurement. The

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GB 2 135 352 A

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determination method according to the present invention is thus very precise.

In accordance with the present invention, advantageously eitherthe amount of air flowing through the 5 filtered pulp cake while the pressure difference between the two sides of the pulp cake is constant, or the pressure difference produced across thefiltered pulp cake while theflow of airthrough the pulp cake is constant, is measured. It is, of course, possible to 10 measure both the pressure difference and the amount of airflow, but by maintaining one of them constant both the measuring and the further procedures are simplified. The above-mentioned pressure difference is advantageously produced by creating a vacuum on 15 thatside of the wire which isoppositethepulpcake.

The invention is described below in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a schematic vertical representation of a preferred 20 Sinbodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a similar representation of an alternative embodiment.

According to Figure 1,the specimen to be studied is first introduced into a specimen vessel 2 provided with a stirrer 1, and havingathermometer3anda heat 25 exchanger 20, by means of which the specimen can, when necessary, be heated or cooled. By means of a piston-operated portioning device 4 a batch of fiber suspension of a precisely controlled volume is transferred from the vessel 2 into a measuring vessel 5, 30 which is a cylinder open both upwards and downwards. Before thespecimen batch of a controlled volume is lowered into the measuring vessel 5, the vessel is lowered in such a way that its lower edge comes tightly against the surface of the endless wire 6. 35 On the opposite side of the wire 6 in relation to the measuring vessel 5, i.e. on its lower side, there is a suction chamber 19 connected to a vacuum pump 8, a pressure meter9 being connected to the suction chamber 19 in orderto measure the vacuum prevail-40 ing in it. By means of the vacuum pump 8 the water is sucked out of the specimen batch in the measuring vessel 5 through the wire 6 into the suction chamber 19 below, and after substantially all the water has been sucked out of the pulp cake filtered onto the wire 6, the 45 vacuum prevailing in the suction chamber 19 is measured by means of the meter 9.

Afterthe measuring of the vacuum the measuring vessel 5 is raised so as to separate from the wire 6 in such a way that the wire length on which the pulp cake 50 is can be moved forward around the turning roll 18 by means of the motor 7 moving the endless wire 6, in orderto drop the pulp cake on the wire 6 onto the weighing device 11 belowtheturning roller 18. The detaching of the pulp cake from the wire 6 can be 55 ensured by means of an air nozzle 10 inside the wire loop, fitted at a point subsequentto the turning roller 18 and aimed towards the wire, and the after-cleaning of the wire is implemented by means of a water nozzle 14 also fitted inside the wire loop, at a point 60 subsequentto the air nozzle 10 and aimed towards the wire 6. After the weighing the pulp cake is removed from the weighing device 11 by means of a scraper 12.

The measurements given by the thermometer 3, the vacuum meter 9 and the weighing device 11 are 65 transferred to the registering device 13 and from there further to the control and output unit 15, by means of which, applying separately determined models, the original consistency of the pulp, its degree of fineness, its papertechnical properties and possible other characteristicfigures describing the quality of the pulp are calculated from the registered measurement data. The operations ofthe portioning device4,the measuring vessel 5, the motor7 and the scraper 12 are also controlled by means ofthe control and output unit 15.

The embodiment depicted in Figure 2 deviates from the embodiment shown in Figure 1 in that, instead of an endless wire, a fixed, plane wire 6 is used, through which the specimen batch isfiltered. Fromthisfixed wire 6the filtered pulp cake is removed by means of a scraper21 moving reciprocatinglyalongthe upper surface ofthe wire; by means of the scraperthe pulp cake is detached from the wire 6 and transferred onto the weighing device 11 below.

A conduit 10 is connected to the suction chamber 19 below the wire 6 in orderto feed compressed air into the suction chamber 19; this compressed air fed below the wire 6 detaches the pulp cake filtered onto the wire 6, before the pulp cake is removed from the wire 6 by means ofthe scraper 21. To the suction chamber 19 there is additionally connected a water feed pipe 14, by means of which water can be fed under pressure into the suction chamber 19 or sprayed towards the wire 6 in orderto remove any fibers possibly adhering to the wi re 6, before the next specimen batch isfiltered through the wire 6.

Theinvention is described belowin greaterdetail with the aid of an example.

Example

The consistencies of 21 coarse screened pulpsfrom underthe pulpstone were determined by a standard method. The results are shown for each specimen in Table 1 below.

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GB2 135 352 A

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Pulp

Laboratory-

determined

consistency

%

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/o

1.14

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1.35

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0.64

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1.72

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1.14

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0.90

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0.91

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1.60

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0.83

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1.12

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0.64

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1.44

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0.75

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1.09

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1.35

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1.03

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0.68

18

1.48

19

0.47

20

0.71

21

1.19

min

0.47

X

1.056

max

1.72

variation

32.91

coefficient*, %

The same specimens were subjected to the determination method according to the present invention using the apparatus of Figure 1, and the temperature ofthe sample, the weight ofthe filtered pulp cake and 5 the vacuum created underthefilteredpulpcakewere registered and entered into the above Table 1. On the basis of these measurements, a regression model was sought for the consistency, the dependent variable being the consistency and the independent 10 variables being thethree above-mentioned measurements, namely weight, vacuum and temperature. By means of regression analysis, thefollowing model was obtained forthe consistency:

Consistency = —0.140 + 245 x 10-4 weight - 254 x 15 10_7x vacuum x temperature+ 115 x 10~6x weight x vacuum +173 x 10~4x temperature -151 x 10-6 x temperature2

x Variation coefficient=— 100, s = standard X

deviation, " = mean 20 The degfee of explanation obtained forthe model ofconsistencywasinthis case99.4%, which = 100 x R2, where R is the joint correlation coefficient ofthe model. In this case the joint correlation coefficient obtainedforthe consistency is 99.7 %. 25 By means of this model it is thus possibleto calculate the consistency of an unknown specimen by measuring its temperature, the weight of thefilter cake obtained from it by filtration, and the vacuum produced underthefiltered pulp cake.

30 Thus, if 28°C is obtained as the temperature ofthe unknown specimen and 35 g as the weight ofthe pulp cake, and the measured vacuum is 150 mmHg, the ble 1

Weight Vacuum Temperature g mmHg °C

22.90 139.0 48.0

31.25 141.0 22.5

12.95 149.5 22.0

37.70 138.5 39.0

23.75 142.5 46.0

17.80 131.5 46.8

18.90 165.5 33.0

35.50 144.5 50.0

16.90 152.0 22.0

23.95 131.0 37.5

12.05 149.5 38.0

33.20 117.5 50.5

15.05 167.5 24.8

24.40 152.0 26.0

28.00 148.5 35.5

19.95 193.0 41.8

11.60 225.0 46.5

31.80 148.0 27.0

8.05 238.5 34.0

12.15 264.5 41.5

28.50 130.0 20.0

8.05 117.5 20.0

22.207 160.429 35.82

37.07 264.5 50.5

39.17 23.85 28.64

consistency of this unknown pulp specimen can be calculated by substituting these values in the above 35 formula, in which case the final resultobtained isa consistency of 1.58 %.

The same way as for consistency, other properties ofthe pulp can also be calculated on the basis ofthe obtained measurements by creating a regression 40 model on the basis of results obtained by standard methods, and the desired property can then be calculated from the model on the basis ofthe measurements obtained from the unknown specimen.

45 In the examples above, the filtering and measuring steps take place in immediate succession in the devices depicted in Figures 1 and 2 with the aid ofthe same pressure-difference producing apparatus.

Thefilteringand measuring steps can also take 50 place completely separately from each other and in separate units. In such a case there may be forthe filtration ofthe water a separate device which creates a vacuum or a pressure difference, the water-removing capacity ofthe device being regulatable in 55 thedesiredmannerindependentlyoflatersteps.In this mannerthe water can be removed from the pulp cake in a manner most advantageous forthe measuring. Respectively, at the a i r-f Iow measu ri ng device the control ofthe airflow, or respectively the pressure 60 difference or vacuum, can be achieved in the manner most advantageousforthe measuring, regardless of howthe removal ofthe water is controlled. In this case water is first filtered from the fiber suspension in a filtering device, in which a pulp cake is formed from

Claims

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GB2 135 352 A

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the fibers. The pulp cake is thereafter transferred into a measuring device, where the resisting effect of the pulp cake on the through-flow of air is measured. Thereafterthe pulp cake is weighed and the prop-5 erties ofthe fiber are calculated. An apparatus made up of separate measuring units can also be implemented so as to be automatic, if so desired.

The invention also provides a method in which upstream and/or downstream ofthe property-deter-10 mining step the process is changed to take into account the measurements obtained in that step. CLAIMS:

1. A method of determining properties of fiber pulp which comprisestaking a batch of predeter-

15 mined volume ofthefiber pulp, measuring its temperature, substantially filtering liquid from the pulp mixture, producing a flow ofairthroughthe filtered pulp cake by means of a pressure difference, measuring the resisting effect of the pulp cake on the 20 flc.vof air, and weighing the pulp cake.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which one or more properties ofthe pulp are calculated on the basis ofthe measurement results.

3. A method of determining properties of fiber 25 pulp which comprisestaking a batch of a predetermined volume of the fiber pulp, measuring its temperature and filtering waterfrom it by means of a pressure difference, in which method the water is substantially filtered off from the pulp mixture; a flow

30 of air is produced through the filtered pulp cake by means of a pressure difference, the resisting effect of the pulp cake on the flow of air is measured, and the pulp cake is weighed, whereafter properties ofthe pulp are calculated on the basis ofthe measurement 35 results, from mathematical models.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the resisting effect of the pulp cake on the flow of air is measured as a pressure difference while theflow of air across the pulp cake is constant.

40 5. Amethodasclaimedinanyoneofclaimslto3, wherein the resisting effect ofthe pulp cake on the flow of air is measured as the amount of airflow while the pressure difference across the pulp cake is constant.

45 6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressure difference for producing the air flow is obtained by sucking airfrom one side ofthe pulp cake while normal atmospheric pressure prevails on the other side ofthe pulp cake, and thatthe 50 resisti ng effect of the pu I p cake on the flow of ai r is measured asthevacuum produced.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the filtering of the waterfrom the pulp mixture and the measuring ofthe resisting effect of

55thefiltered pulp cake on theflow of airtake place in immediate succession, in which case theflow of air through the pulp cake starts when water has been sufficiently filtered from it, and thatthe resisting effect ofthe pulp cake on the flow of air is measured 60 after a certain time has elapsed from the starting of thefiltering.

8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the measuring is carried outata stage at which a sufficient equilibrium forthe measuring has

65 been created.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the measuring is carried out at the earliest when water has been filtered from the fiber pulpfor about 30 seconds.

70 10. Apparatusfordetermining properties of fiber pulp which comprises means for measuring the temperature of a specimen ofthe fiber pulp, means for substantially removing liquid from a specimen of predetermined volume ofthe fiber pulp, means for

75 producing a flow ofairthroughthe pulp layer so-produced, means for measuring the pressure difference of through-flow produced across the pulp layer, meansfor weighing the pulp laye~, and means for registering the obtained measurements, the

80 registering means being capable of arrangement such that it does not registerthe pressure difference of thethrough-flow created across the pulp layer until substantially all the liquid has been removed from the pulp layer.

85 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, which also comprises a vessel provided with a stirrerforthe specimen.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 orclaim 11, which also comprises a device forthe output of

90 properties ofthe pulp.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, which also comprises a wire for supporting the specimen of predetermined volume during removal ofthe liquid and measurement ofthe pressure

95 difference orthrough-flow.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13which also comprises meansfor directing the specimen of predetermined volume onto the wire, the said means comprising a portioning device for directing a batch

100 of predetermined volumefrom a vessel in which the temperature is measured into a measuring vessel capable of being placed againstthe wire.

15. Apparatusfordetermining properties of fiber pulp, the apparatus having a vessel provided with a

105 stirrerforthe specimen, a device for measuring the temperature of the specimen, meansfor directing the specimen onto a wire and for removing the water through the wire by means of a pressure difference, a device for measuring the pressure difference or

110 through-flow produced across the wire and the pulp layer on the wire, and devices for registering the obtained measurements andforthe output of properties ofthe pulp, the apparatus also comprising a portioning device for directing a batch of a predeter-

115 mined volume from the vessel into a measuring vessel capable of being placed against the wire, the registering device being such as not to registerthe pressure difference of the th rough-flow created across the wire and the pulp layer on the wire until

120 substantially all thewater has been removed from the pulp layerfiltered onto the wire, meansfor removing the pulp layerfrom the wire, and a device for weighing the pulp layer.

16. Apparatus as claimed in anyone of claims 12

125 to 15, wherein the wire is an endless wire having meansfor moving the wire.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the wire is an endless wire having meansfor moving the wire afterthe measuring vessel has risen away from

130 the wire, in orderto bring a clean wire length above a

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suction device opposite the measuring vessel.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16orclaim 17, wherein inside the wire loop there is an air nozzle aimed downwards towards the wire, for detaching

5 the pulp layer on the wire and for dropping it onto a weighing device situated below.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein inside the wire loop there is, at a point subsequentto the air nozzle, a water nozzle, also aimed downwards

10 towards the wi re, for cleaning the wire.

20. ApparatusasclaimedinanyoneofclaimslO to 15, which also comprises means for removing the pulp layerfrom the wire and wherein the said means comprises a scraper, reciprocatingly movable against

15 the top surface of the wire, by means of which the pulp cake filtered onto the wire can be detached from the wire and transferred onto the weighing means.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, which also comprises means belowthewirefordirecting

20 compressed air below the wire and the pulp cake on the wire, in orderto facilitate the detaching ofthe pulp cake.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, which also comprises means belowthe wire for

25 directing or spraying waterthrough the wire in order to clean it.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14orclaim 15, wherein the portioning device operates according to the piston principle.

30 24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or any claim dependent thereon or claim 15 or any claim dependent thereon wherein the vessel has means for controlling the temperature ofthe specimen taken from the process.

35 25. Apparatusfordeterminingthepropertiesof fiber pulp constructed substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated by. Figure 1 or Figure 2 ofthe accompanying drawings.

26. A method as claimed in claim 1 carried out

40 substantially as described herein.

27. A method as claimed in claim 1 carried out substantially as described in any ofthe Examples herein.

28. Amethodasclaimedinclaim 1 andcarried

45 out using apparatus as claimed in any one of claims

10 to 25.

29. Any new and novel feature described herein.

Printed in the United Kingdom for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 8818935, 8/84, 18996. Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.